Goodbye Aramark, hello Chartwells

Following a student uproar over the cost and quality of food on campus, Ryerson University has announced that they will be ushering in a new food services provider on campus.

Chartwells, an international company that provides food services to numerous campuses and public schools across the GTA, will be taking over from Aramark effective immediately.

“Chartwells is considered to be the industry leader in Canada in education food services, serving more than 1,000 public and private schools, colleges and universities,” said Julia Hanigsberg, vice president administration and finance, in her open letter to the campus. The letter was titled “A new era of food at Ryerson.”

The open letter promises 25 per cent of food on campus will be “sustainable, local products” with focus on healthier, Ontario-grown food and more diverse options.

According to Hanisberg a team of two students along with Ryerson faculty and staff considered three other food providers before deciding on Chartwells. “Our objective was to deliver what campus said they wanted,” said Hanigsberg.

But, student representatives are critical of a decision to continue to contract a private organization, rather than a not-for-profit model pushed for by the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU).

“We just did some research on Chartwells and see that it exists on a lot of other campuses, and students are having all the same complaints that we had with Aramark,” said Rajean Hoilett, vice president equity with the RSU. “Our worry is, when we’re privatizing food on campus, what are the repercussions that that has for students?”

Hoilett said the RSU was not included in talks prior to the announcement, but that he hopes they will be involved in finalizing the move.

Hanigsberg told The Eyeopener that the three-year contract has not been finalized yet.

Chartwells was not available for comment at the time of the announcement.

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In the good old days of my time at Ryerson Ma and Pa Wycik offered great sandwiches, hamburgers and other goodies in Palin Hall. This admirable couple contributed greatly to university life in the 1960’s and they are remembered through Neill-Wycik College. They were a home away from home for many Ryerson students. Now we have food services that charge too much for mass produced food. By the way, the Cafeteria in the main building in my time also offered excellent meals and the staff was Ryerson staff if I remember right.